For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
For whatsoever things were written aforetime, were written for our learning ('instruction'); that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures ('through the comfort and the patience, of the Scriptures'), might have hope: - q.d., 'Think not that because such portions of Scripture relate immediately to Christ, they are inapplicable to you; for though Christ's sufferings, as a Saviour, were exclusively His own, the motives that prompted them, the spirit in which they were endured, and the general principle involved in His whole work-self-sacrifice for the good of others-furnish our most perfect and beautiful model; and so all Scripture relating to these is for our instruction. And since the duty of forbearance, the strong with the weak, requires "patience," and this again needs "comfort," all those Scriptures which, tell of patience and consolation, particularly of the patience of Christ, and of the consolation which sustained Him under it, are our appointed and appropriate nutriment, ministering to us "hope" of that blessed day when these shall no more be needed.' (See the notes at Romans 4:1-25, Remark 7, at the close.) For the same connection between "patience" and "hope," see the note at Romans 12:12, and at 1 Thessalonians 1:3.